Rubies aren't Red They're Green A ZoSan Fanfic AU
by StrawHatChick
Summary: Exactly what the title says. Sanji Baratie jolts from his sleep to find a red-eyed, bandanna wearing, three swords-using, foulmouthed man standing in his room (a.k.a. Roronoa Zoro a.k.a. Ruby Heart). Rated M because I don't trust myself in the later chapters. (a/n This'll be updated less frequently than before because of my busy schedule for now. Gomenasai.)
1. Chapter 1

**! DOUBLE SUPER IMPORTANT PLEASE READ! **

**Okay, so I wanted to improve the first chapter of the story, so I updated this chapter with more stuff, and with 2 parts to the Prologue. PLEASE RE-READ THIS CHAPTER because I want to make this story a better one for you guys :D**

**And of course, I'm sorry for making you re-read it XD I couldn't think of any other way.. Once again, thank you to all those who reviewed, followed and favorited! (I love you guys! XD) Well, enough of my ramblings and enjoy this re-written chapter~ =w=**

Prologue

**~Zoro's POV~**

My heart thumped loudly from the thrill of danger as I jumped easily from rooftop to rooftop. What was with these things now? I used to be able to have footholds everywhere, now it's just glass and chrome. The people around here must have no taste, I guess.

I could feel the sweat trickling down into my shirt, staining it a darker hue of white. The three swords hanging from my right hip made the smallest of noises as I moved. I took good care of them, after all. I was on a hunt. A hunt for a man with, I quote, "Golden locks and eyes the color of the summer ocean on a wintry day." What the hell did that even mean?

I knew I was almost there. I couldn't be lost because I had a GPS. I checked it and I realized that he should be in a room right in the next building. I stopped moving when I saw a man sleeping through his window. I saw shining blonde hair peeking out from covers. I knew it had to be him. I crept towards the window and peered in, observing his sleeping form.

The endless night stretched out below me, making me clueless as to how high this building was. A small shiver ran up my spine. Even though I wasn't afraid of heights, thinking about my guts splattered on the street wasn't exactly my favorite past time.

I focused on the task at hand and slowly slid the window off its hinges. These rich bastards should've known that staying on the 7th floor wasn't going to keep people like me away. I climbed in, making sure that the window didn't creak. I stepped in and felt the freezing air-conditioning cool down my heaty body, the sweat slowly disappearing. _Just how wealthy were the people living in here? The air-conditioning alone should be worth a fortune… _The room was pitch dark, save for the small strip of moonlight from the crack in the curtains.

I stood a distance from the bed, away from the window and in a dark corner of the room. I watched him until I knew every contour of his lean frame. He looked to have a slender build, but he could tell form years of experience that those lanky bones held lean muscle packed with power that could knock you out in seconds. He had a nice curve to his Adam's apple, and his shoulder blades weren't too shabby, if I had to say. He obviously had slim legs, which were sprawled over the bed under his sheets.

I could always tell a person's physical ability by looking at them. Even the slightest curve of their shoulders or neck made a huge difference when it came to strength. Though, people with powers were another story, for another day. This guy should be really good-looking, by standards. His features said so. Looking at his blonde hair, he probably side-parted it to cover his.. Left eye. He should be _really _good-looking.

_I'm going to have a hell of a time sealing the deal with him. _I smirked in the darkness that hid me from the man who I'd been waiting to meet for the past thirteen years.

**~Sanji's POV~**

I dreamt of my sweetheart, Nami-swan, as I lay in my wide bed. I dreamt of her shoulder-length, silky red locks and her beautiful chocolate eyes as I imagined myself noodle dancing towards her table and serving her a – strawberry? Blueberry? I couldn't recall – sundae.

I dreamt of being in the Baratie, the 7-star restaurant that the shitty old geezer owned, and having a heck of a time with Nami-swan. The old geezer was shouting at Patty and Carne to, "Oi! Get your asses moving! What are you, damn snails? Do you _want _me to serve you to the guests with salt?!" , as usual, the lady guests were complimenting me on my waiting (and cooking) skills, while I got to fill up hungry customers. I snuggled into the warmth of my comforter and loved the soft, gel pillow that enveloped my head in heaven.

All I could remember was that one moment I was noodle dancing for Nami-swan, and the next I was looking at a red-eyed man standing at the far corner of the room, staring me down with an unwavering gaze.

_A man? In my room?! _I stared at him blankly before the full force of what was happening hit me. My eye widened as I watched him, wondering how I hadn't been jolted out of my sleep earlier.

_I have ultra-sensitive ears, don't I? When the hell did he sneak into this room? More importantly, how?! The window wasn't locked, but this was the freaking 7__th__ floor! He had to have wings on his back to get up here! Not to mention that there's a lounge wedged between every floor in this building… That technically made me live on the 14__th__ floor… Is this guy a ninja or something?!_

Useless thoughts went through my head as I continued contemplating how this red-eyed man had gotten into his room. And why.

Chapter One

**~Sanji's POV~**

Ruby eyes were looking out at me from the darkness. They were cold and calculating, seemingly holding the answers to life itself. They watched me closely. I bet they could see the beading sweat on my face, hear my small, ragged, fear-ridden gasps escaping my lips every second. I bet they could feel the erratic thumping of my heart as I looked into the red eyes that mesmerized my very soul.

My blonde strands clung with sweat to my forehead, and my blue eye stared at the strange man who had entered my room (probably) not so long ago. He had a lean, muscled build that gave off a menacing and powerful prescence in the room. I could only see his appearance faintly with the soft glow cast by the midnight moon of the dark sky. He was wearing a form-fitting, white shirt, with black slacks and combat boots. Around his waist was a green haramaki, a Japanese belt of some sorts. Throwing shadows over his eyes was a black bandanna, tied firmly over his forehead, casting a dark appearance. I could make out three long shadows hanging from his right hip. They kinda looked like… _Swords?!_ This man used swords? And why three? Were those even his to begin with? I took him in more closely. He had impressive features, ones that probably turned heads when he walked. _Nice jawline, smooth, tanned skin, slim nose, sharp eyes, and… _Green hair?!

What was this guy? Some sort of _comedian_ ninja? I unconsciously began giggling at the red-eyed man, breaking his composure and earning a slight widening of the eyes from the strange man. I couldn't hold myself back and laughed full-out, letting the laughter wrack my body until couldn't breathe. I myself had no idea why I found his hair to be so fucking hilarious. The red eyes spoke to me from the darkness.

"Oi. Why are you laughing at me?" The moment I heard his voice my insides melted into jelly. It was so—Deep? Rich? No, that wasn't it… It was… Romantic. His voice was like water running over rocks, as smooth as cream. Not that I'd ever let him know that, though. A voice that was definitely not befitting of someone that looked like him.

I answered him by simply saying, "Because you have green hair, you marimo," I giggled and the man stiffened, probably with fury. I saw him vanish and suddenly above me, pinning me down onto my bed. "What do you mean by that, eh? You looking for a fight, swirly brows?" A vein popped in my head. "What do you people have against my eyebrows, ah?!" I yelled back at him.

He smirked down at me. He leaned down towards my ear and murmured, "What do you have against green hair then?" and I turned my face away, not having thought of such a comeback. I could feel myself blushing furiously at my stupidity.

My brain had to pick that exact moment to realize the closeness between our bodies. I mentally threatened my brain while trying to ignore the pounding of my heart. I could feel his waist brushing against mine, barely being held above by his arms. What the fuck was wrong with me today? I'm perfectly straight!

Before my brain could torment me further, the red-eyed man spoke, "Well, either way, you're going to be with me for quite awhile, so you'll have to get used to this green hair anyways. Now shut up and get off the damn bed, we're leaving." He released my wrists and gracefully climbed off the mattress.

Huh? "Leaving? What're you talking about? Who are you?" The swordsman looked over his shoulder, capturing me with those red eyes of his. "You're asking who I am? Haven't you heard of Ruby Heart?"

**Thanks for Reading! :) The next chapter will be up soon, just for my readers~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, guys. So, I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed, followed, and favorite my story. Heck, I love you just for clicking the link! :) I really didn't expect to get that many reads in a day.. Hahah =w=**

**!IMPORTANT PLEASE READ! So, I know that my first chapter was in Sanji's point of view, but throughout the story I might be changing their points of view now and then, to better show you what's happening. So, this chapter is in 'nobody's POV'. I'll write a header before I begin e.g. ~Sanji's POV~ So please look at it to understand my story better.**

**Other than that, there's nothing else, so ENJOY~**

**Chapter 2**

**~Nobody's POV~**

_Huh? "Leaving? What're you talking about? Who are you?" The swordsman looked over his shoulder, capturing me with those red eyes of his. "You're asking who I am? Haven't you heard of Ruby Heart?"_

_Ruby… Heart? I've heard that somewhere before… Sometime when I was a kid._ The blonde didn't realize that he was thinking so hard about that little comment until the red-eyed man spoke up, "You don't need to think that hard, you idiot. You're thinking so hard your brow's getting straighter," he smirked and Sanji's cheekbones and his ear turned red from embarrassment. He was about to yell a comeback when he continued speaking, "It's a childhood story. Don't you remember?"

At those words the cook's head was filled with memories about fantastic tales that adults loved to pass down to their children. _Cinderella, Rapunzel (Man, her pictures were hot…) and one of them was Ruby Heart. If I remembered right, it was about a boy and a monster… And something about rubies._. He growled in frustration as he tried to remember that one story. He gave up with a sigh.

"Oi, marimo. Could .. You tell me the story? I.. Remember that name but I can't remember what that story was about," Sanji softly mumbled. He expressionlessly said, "Get on your knees and beg," He smiled. Zoro ducked the flying furniture that was hurled at him. He randomly decided to begin telling the story when Sanji was about to knock him out with his bedroom mirror. The blonde's advances were halted and he moved back to his bed, listening to his voice, imagining the tale in his head.

"There was once a small, rural town (the children called it Ruby House) where the darkness was feared throughout the land. The adults told the children tales of a hulking monster with bloodthirsty red eyes and long claws that would lurk through the town, looking for fresh blood. It was said that it lived in a forest near the edge of town, a forest named 'Blood Forest', because of its dangerous, sudden cliffs, boulders and wild animals that have caused much blood to stain the forest. The red-eyed monster would peer into every mousehole, every door, and every window. On some nights, screams would be heard, and the next morning it would be discovered that the town had one less citizen," The man paused, waiting for the cook to take the information in. Sanji slowly grasped the situation and nodded subtly, waiting for him to continue.

" But that wasn't the end. The monster would not take away the citizen and eat it or something. It would tear out the human's heart and leave the body at the fringes of town, for it to be found by someone else. This is why everyone feared the darkness, and the monster that it held."

Fear crept up the back of the blonde's neck. _Wasn't this story a little too gruesome to be told to five-year-olds waiting for the night's bedtime story? _

"There was a boy in the town. A young boy who was said to have been fearless of anything. He had no parents, no relatives, and no friends. He had no name, for nobody wanted to take him in. The boy never cried. Not even at his parents' funeral. Not a single tear leaked from the boy's eyes. The adults thought him as a curse, and forbade their children to befriend him. The little boy was left all alone. He had nothing to lose. So he went after the red-eyed monster to prove himself. To prove that he didn't need them either."

The red-eyed man's voice took on a sad hue, and it puzzled Sanji. _Why did he look so… Forlorn? Does this have some connection? Maybe his parents were taken by this 'monster' too?_

"Nobody in the town knew what had happened to him when he left for the forest in the dark of night. Nobody stopped him, and nobody cared. What they did know, was that the boy returned back to the town without a single scratch on him."

"Even stranger, the monster stopped appearing. Instead, blood-covered rubies were found at their doorsteps every night for about a week. The townspeople were frightened and irrationally blamed the little boy for what was happening. He didn't agree nor did he refuse. He simply left the town without a trace."

_This story really was a bad one for children. But I remembered now. That town.. They called it Ruby House because of this story. Because of the rubies that were kept in safes with the town head. I don't know if the monster and the boy were real, but the rubies were. I'd heard from the old man when I was a kid that the government of present-day Ruby House kept the rubies hidden in safes. Or so it seemed._

"They finally named him the 'Ruby Heart'. For he was the only one who, when faced the darkness alone, did not lose his heart, but brought rubies with him as well."

The red-eyed man finished the story, and Sanji let out a breath of air he didn't know he'd been holding. That was one heck of a story. "So.. What about this story is related to you, swordsman? And are you really a swordsman?" Sanji gestured to the three sheathed swords hanging from his right hip.

He glanced at the blonde, pondered the question, and replied, "My name is Roronoa Zoro. I'm nineteen years old and I'm a swordsman. I don't want to tell you anything else about myself, and the connection between me and that tale is for me to know, and for you to find out." He smirked.

A vein popped in Sanji's head, but he decided to let it rest for once. _Zoro… The name suited him. Those swords too. How does he carry them like that anyway? If I'd been wearing that they'd have irritated the shit out of me by now… But when he wears it, he sort of looks… Good. _Sanji stiffened and pushed the thought away. Instead he nodded and continued, "I am Sanji Baratie. I am a chef at Baratie Restaurant and have an adoptive father, 'Red Leg' Zeff. I'm sure you've heard of him? Anyways, I have always lived here and my old man taught me everything I know about Savate, which is French kickboxing with shoes. So I can fight, you know. I'm not some priss you'd meet at the Super Bowl. So what's this about leaving? Where're we going? What's going on with you coming into my room, hah? Answer me!" A stream of questions was thrown at him. "You're a talkative one, aren't ya, blondie?" He groaned, for what reason Sanji sure as hell didn't know. Zoro rubbed his neck so hard it looked like he had a knot in it. "It's gonna be a hard trip…" he mumbled to himself. "Oi! What's wrong with me? The ladies love my talkative personality and my devilishly good looks. I mean, what's there not to like?" The blonde ventured dangerously forth by winking at the red-eyed man.

"You're forgetting that I'm not a lady, stupid eyebrows."

More furniture was dodged.

"Answer my question, you damn bastard! Don't treat me like a kid!" Sanji shouted, still trying to land a blow on the swordsman with his dresser. "If I tell you, you'd have to seal the deal with me first, blondie! You can't be revealed anything unless you do that first," Zoro explained to him, calmly sidestepping the oakwood dresser that was flung at him in frustration.

"What deal are you talking about? Can't you explain a little more?" Sanji calmed down a little with the small response given from Zoro. _Zoro… The name still sounded foreign on my tongue._ "Put that chair down, first, swirly. Then we'll talk. But first, you should probably pack your stuff first. Once we seal the deal, we leave immediately. And I'm not joking. So, better start now. I mean, you wouldn't want to leave behind your… Pink underwear or perfume or something…" Sanji sighed and decided to not pick a fight with this ridiculous man and followed his advice.

_Ahh what should I pack? So much stuff, so little space! Are we going on a hunt or a vacation? Should I bring swimming trunks or combat boots? Eyebrow liner or jungle knife? _The blonde had a mental war in his head about what to bring and what not to bring. He finally decided to bring a little of both in an average-sized haversack.

The swordsman could hear the blonde humming a tune as he stuffed things into his haversack. He could see him packing clothes –shirts, trousers, pants, even a fucking _suit_- into it. He really did end up packing a bottle of perfume. _Rich people really are too picky._

He took the chance to roam his eyes over the man's room. It was huge, with a high ceiling and lots of furniture. He had a long, red couch with dressers and mirrors. He seemed to like soft, fluffy rugs too. _Too bad he won't be getting any of that where we're going_. He saw picture frames on his dressers and subtly strided over to have a closer look. It was a black-and-white framed photograph. It held a yellowed picture of a small blonde boy with swirly eyebrows clawing at a blonde man's hand, which was pinching his cheek. The man had an impossibly long braided beard, and an even longer chef's hat that was on his head. He was grinning widely into the picture while pinching the boy's cheek. Even though the boy appeared to be angry, Zoro could sense… a hidden smile. _So this is what he looked like as a kid. Not bad, actually. _He heard someone clearing their throat behind him.

Zoro whirled around and caught sight of Sanji, who was uncomfortably rubbing the back of his neck while averting his eyes from the swordsman. _Why would he be looking at something so personal?_ The blonde wondered as he moved to place the framed photograph carefully in his haversack.

"Ne, Zoro. When will I be coming back home? I mean, you can at least tell me _that _right?" Sanji looked at the man, and met his eyes. Zoro sighed heavily and responded, "There is no coming back, eyebrows. Once you leave… There's just no going back. That is, unless you make it back here with your limbs attached. That's all I can tell you." He gazed at Sanji, waiting for a reply.

_Never coming back? What about… Zeff? Baratie? My life? Who exactly is this marimo? Could this 'mission' be that important to him?_ Sanji struggled with the situation. Until he felt a warm weight on his left shoulder. He looked up to see Zoro with a soft expression on his face. "Oi. You don't _have _to come with the stranger that waltzed into your room thirty minutes ago. You don't have to leave your dreams, your family, your _life _behind. You don't have to leave your pots and pans forever either," he paused for effect, "But one thing you should know, is that I've been looking for you for thirteen years. You should know, that I _need _you Sanji. You're the only one who can save this stranger."

Sanji's heart clenched. He had just met this man, and now he was going to leave everything and follow him to god knows where on Earth? But Zoro… Something about him was special. There was a feeling in his gut that told him this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. That this was the only thing he could do to help this strange, green-haired man. So, without pause, "I'll come with you, Zoro. Promise not to let me die, though. Wouldn't want Zeff to wait here for my cold unmoving body for the rest of his days, ne?" Sanji replied lightheartedly. "That was a pretty lame joke, you shitty cook." Zoro smirked. "Wait till you try my cooking, you bastard! Then we'll see who's the shitty cook here!" Sanji yelled.

Sanji had just worn his black, leather shoes, and pulled his haversack onto his shoulders when a thought popped into his head, which he voiced out to the swordsman.

"Ne, Zoro, you said something about sealing the deal before you could tell me anything. How do we seal the deal?" He looked pointedly at Zoro, expecting a reply.

"We kiss." He said simply.

Sanji's eye widened. And he was about to scream 'Hell No!' when a huge explosion rocked the entire building.

Sanji felt himself be thrown against the wall, his head missing the windowpane by mere inches. He groaned from the slight pain in his side and slowly opened his eyes. His ears had been filled with a deafening sound that made his head spin in circles. He saw a fire raging right outside his door, and screams were heard throughout the building. The smoke was starting to fill the room, and he panicked as he thought of Zoro. "Zoro! Where are you?!" He screamed over the noise of the fire. Chunks of ceiling plaster and cement were falling onto the bedroom floor, and Sanji could feel the apartments tilting at an angle. _Shit_! _What the hell was going on? Are there terrorists out there?! _Sanji panicked and tried to find Zoro even more. Before he could even take a step, his feet were swept off the ground. He felt strong arms wrap around him from behind and pull him towards the shattered window. He swiveled his head around and looked up at Zoro, who was hurriedly dragging him towards the window. He sensed the danger and just let the man hold him, not wanting to start a fight in the middle of this. He was so occupied by the explosion that he'd forgotten about the kiss.

He blushed all the way to his ears, but Zoro interrupted his train of thought and shouted in his ear loudly, "Cook, we need to get outta here _now. _And I mean it. We have to leave _now_. There're people who're afte" he froze midsentence and Sanji wondered why. He looked up at Zoro and saw him staring at his bedroom door, his mouth open in shock. _How did they find me? This is ridiculous, he said nobody knew where I'd be headed. What the fuck are the Jems doing here?! _Zoro thought, frustrated. He set Sanji onto his feet and stepped forward, never taking his eyes of the Jem. "What the fucking hell do you think you're doing here?" He said coldly.

The Jem smiled. Zoro assumed that it was Topaz. His orange-yellow hair fell to his shoulders and he was wearing a ridiculous yellow ensemble. Yellow shoes, tights, vest, cape, hat, even the sunglasses! The Jems never did have a good fashion sense.

"Oh, Zoroooooo~ Why're you sooo~ maaaad~" he twirled around playfully, obviously not caring that Zoro was wearing a dangerous look on his face. Sanji's gaze flickered between the yellow-clad weirdo and Zoro. _What were the Jems? I bet they'd caused the explosion. How the hell did Zoro get to know these 'Jems'? Oh god, it couldn't be that I joined a gang of stuck-up pricks that wore colour code?! _Sanji groaned inwardly. If anything, Sanji knew to stay out of the conversation. That is, until the yellow-clad man asked him a question.

"Hooo~ Is this _the _Sapphire-chan you've been looking for, ne Zoro-chwan?" The weirdo looked at Sanji and grinned oddly. Zoro's muscles tensed. _If this idiot revealed anything, he'd we screwed!_

Sanji was getting just a teensy bit frightened. Zoro snapped at Sanji to stay by the window, while Zoro moved in front of him, drawing just one sword and pointing it at the weird man. He smiled and pursed his lips, blowing a funny, yellow powder into the air. He could see Zoro tense up again and he knew he had to get away from that… _yellow powder thing_. He knew he had to do something, and not leave it all up to Zoro. He hated being dead weight.

_Damn, that shitty powder! Sanji has to get out, he can't handle as much pain as I can- he's just a wimp in his upper body! Shit… What am I supposed to do?! I can't fight this guy with Sanji here, but I can't exactly run out the window with Sanji either. Shi- _Zoro's thoughts were derailed as he felt something averagely strong hauling him backwards.

He felt his lower back slide over the windowpane, and his feet weren't on the ground anymore. Before he lost control of his body weight, he heard a teasing voice beside him, "Sorry for taking this marimo away so soon, but I can't let my new toy get dirty, can I?" He could hear the grin in the voice.

_I don't know what the fuck I'm doing here, but I know I need to seal the deal with him! I have to keep him safe too. _Sanji yanked the swordsman out of the window, his body underlying his, and down they fell. The last thing he saw was the yellow-clad man, trying to jump out the window too, but his stupid cape was preventing him. _Ha, dress sense is a must in life, after all._

Zoro felt the wind rushing through him, and the sheer sensation of _falling _made him want to gag. He'd hated rollercoasters since _forever_. He felt the wind change from hot to cold, cold to hot. His arms hung weakly, forced upwards by the rush of air. He looked to his side and saw the blonde, staring at him with wide eyes. It was like everything was in slow motion. As if he weren't falling to his death at 200miles per hour. (Or so he thought, he wasn't good at speeds or distance or any of that shit.)

Sanji knew he had to do it. He had to do it before they slammed into the ground. A voice in his head was telling him to do it, urging him to take the chance. It was now or never.

Sanji grabbed a fistful of Zoro's green hair with as much arm strength as he could, and forcefully brought their faces together. He didn't give Zoro a sliver of time before crashing his lips onto the swordsman's. He felt Zoro tense up for the millionth time that day –this guy was pretty easy to catch off guard- and he only kissed harder, wishing for something, _anything _to happen.

Sanji had really done it. He'd sealed the deal with the swordsman!

Now the only thing left to think about was,

Did he just hand over his soul to a green-haired devil that used three swords instead of a trident?


End file.
